Strike for spring catches



July 25, 1961 A. w. AHLGREN 2,993,718

STRIKE FOR SPRING CATCHES Filed March 22, 1957 flo n. WAI:

United States Patent O 2,993,718 STRIKE FOR SPRING CATC'HES Axel W.Ahlgren, Rockford, Ill., 'assignor to Amerock Corporation, Rockford,Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 22, 1957, Ser. No. 647,778 1Claim. (Cl. 292-4340) This invention relates to catches for holdingclosure members such as doors in the closed position and, moreparticularly, to a catch which includes two helically wound coil springsspaced apart to receive the enlarged head portion of a strike betweenthem.

T'he general object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedstrike which is comparatively inexpensive, easy to mount, durable andrelatively noiseless.

A more detailed object is to shape the head of the strike in a novelmanner so as to reduce the wear of both the head and the springs.

The invention also resides in the novel means for mounting the strike.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which FIGURE l is a fragmentary sectional viewof a cabinet employing a catch and a strike embodying the novel featuresof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in FIG.2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the strike.

FIG. 5 is an end view of the strike.

As shown in the drawings ffor purposes of illustration, the invention isembodied in a catch for holding a closure member, such as the door of acabinet, in the closed position. In the present instance, the cabinetparts are made of sheet metal, the edges of the door being formed with aflange 11 of U-shaped cross section to provide a hollow portionextending along these edges. The ange 11 opposes a similar ange 12 onthe wall 13 of the cabinet and the catch 14 is mounted on the flange 12.

Herein, the catch 14 comprises a box-like casing 15 which is mounted ina hole 1694 in the flange 12 and is open at its front to receive astrike 16 attached to the ilange 11 of the door 10. Disposed within thecasing are two helically wound springs 17 spaced apart and arranged withtheir axes parallel. The springs are held in place by ears 18 (FIG. 3)struck from the sides of the casing and projecting into the ends of thesprings.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the strike 16 includes a body portion 19having a shoulder 20 abutting against the ilange 11 on the door 10. Thebody portion decreases in cross section outwardly from the flange andthen merges with an enlarged head 21. The cross section of the latter isgreater than the space between the springs 17 while the neck 22immediately behind the head is narrower than this space. Thus, when thedoor is closed, the head 21 enters between the springs and flexes themapart. As the head crosses the axes through the springs to the positionshown in FIG. 2, the springs return toward their normal position inwhich they are behind the head and hold the door closed. The door iskept from rattling by a rubber stop 23 fastened to the door flange 11and abutting against the flange 12.

In order to reduce the wear on both the strike 16 and the springs 17,the present invention contemplates shaping the head 21 in a novel mannerso as to provide near maximum surface contact between the head and thesprings as the head passes between the springs. This is achieved byelongating the head in the direction of the spring axes and by formingthe head with a longitudinal Patented July 25, 1961 "ice cross sectionalshape which is generally complementary to the shape the springs assumewhen flexed.

Thus, since the springs 17 are ilexed more at their centers than neartheir ends, the head 21 is made with its maximum cross section at thecenter and is tapered from the center toward both ends. As shown in FIG.4,

.the head has a `circular cross section and it thereby assumes a barrelshape. While only the center portion of the head need be greater indiameter than the space between the springs, it is preferred to make thehead wider than the springs throughout its entire length.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a novel means isprovided to secure the strike 16 to the door 10 and is so constructed asto permit the strike simply to be snapped into place. This meanscomprises a resilient U-shaped portion 24 which is rigidly connected atthe ends of its legs 25 to the rear of the body 19 and is inserted in ahole 26 in the door llange 11.

At the closed end of the U, the portion 24 is smaller than the hole 26and this portion gradually increases in size to a point spaced a shortdistance behind the shoulder 20 at which point the cross section ofU-shaped portion 24 is greater than the size of the hole. Immediatelybehind the shoulder, the portion 24 is reduced to conform generally tothe size and shape of the hole thereby forming a groove or recess 27which is about as wide as the thickness of the sheet metal from whichthe door 10 is constructed.

With the foregoing arrangement, the strike 16 is mounted by insertingthe U-shaped portion 24 into the hole 26. During this insertion, theU-shaped portion yields since it is larger than the hole. Such yieldingis permitted `because of the resilient material from which this portionis made and because it is hollow due to its U shape. When the shoulder20 abuts against the flange 11, the U-shaped portion snaps back to itsnormal position and the flange is received in the groove 27 whichprevents the strike from moving in either direction. Preferably, thehole 26 and the reduced forward end of the portion 24 are given a squareshape to prevent the strike from turning and thereby hold the head 21parallel t0 the springs 17.

A strike constructed in the manner described above may easily be made asa single molded piece of resilient plastic material such as nylon orzytel. This provides a comparatively inexpensive and relativelynoiseless strike.

I claim as my invention:

For use with a catch having two helical springs paralleling each otherand spaced apart a predetermined disstance, the combination of, a strikecomprising a body portion and an enlarged head portion rigid with oneend of said body portion to enter between said springs and elongated ina direction paralleling the springs, said head portion having agenerally circular cross section throughout its length with the diameterof the central part being greater than the diameter at the ends to givethe head portion a barrel shape, the diameter of said head portionthroughout the length of the latter being greater than saidpredetermined distance.

FOREIGN PATENTS 845,808 Germany Aug. 4,

